wloek



2 Sheets-Sheet 1."

(No Model.)

WLOEK.

MAIL BOX AND POUGH.

Patented Mar. 19

N. PEI'ERS Phulo'l'nhcghphQn Wash ngton. D C.

(No Model.)

.2 Sheets Sheet 2.

W. WLGEK,

MAIL BOX'AND POUCH.

Patented Mar. 19

UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

\VENZL \VLCEK, OF GRATZ, AUSTRIA-HUN GARY, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-'JIIIRDS TO IIANNS MULLER AND MAX IIELZ, OF SAME PLACE.

MAIL BOX AND POUCH.

PEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,026, dated March 19, 1889.

Application filed November 1, 1888. Serial No. 289,762. (No model.) Patented in France October 9, 1888, No. 193,412; in Belgium October 9, 1888, No. 83,521; in Luxemburg October 9,1888, No. 1,037; in Norway October 9,1888, No. 1,067; in Italy November 29,1888, XXII, 24,197,XLVII, 438, and in Spain January 10, 1889, No. 8,816.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be a known that I. WENZL wLcEK, lockin Norway, No. 1,067, dated October 9, 1888;) I I and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accom- 2o panying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an isometric view of my improved mail-box. Fig. is a like view. showing the mail-pouch connected therewith. Fig. 3 is an isometric view of the mail-pouch detached, showing the lid thereof open. Fig. 41 is an isometric under side view of the lower plate of the pouch 3o lid or cover, showing also the perforated rear side strip of the pouch-frame. Fig. 5 is an isometric view of the key for opening the pouch. Fig. 6 is a sectional detail isometric view of a portion of the mail-pouch and its 3 5 cover, showing the key applied. Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse section on line 00 :rof Fig. 8, which latterfigure shows my improved mailbox by a longitudinal vertical section; and Fig. i) is a section on line a" w of Fig. 8, a port-ion of the end wall of the inner casing or letter-receptacle proper being broken away to show the operatingmechanism. Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail sectional inside view of a portion of the front wall of the mailbox, and Fig. 11 is an isometric view of a time slip or plate.

The invention relates to street mail or letter boxes and collecting pouches or bags, and it has for its object to prevent tampering with the mail matter by mail carriers or collectors.

The invention consists, generally, in the combination, with a mail or letter box provided with an isolated mail-receptacle closed on all sides and havinga movable bottom and mechanism for locking said bottom to the recept'acle, of a mail pouch or bag adapted to be connected with the letter-box and to antomatically release the locking mechanism, and a cover or lid for said letter-box arranged and operating to control the locking mechan- 6o ism for the bottom of the letter-receptacle, so that said mechanism cannot be operated through the agency of the mail pouch or bag to open the mail-receptacle unless the said lid is first opened, substantially ashereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

The invention further consists in the combination, with the letter-box, of a collection time slip or table and a locking device for antomatically locking said slip or table to the box, substantially as hereinafter fully described, aud set forth in the claims.

The invention further consists in the combination, with the lock for the lid or cover of the letter-box, of a locking-arm to lock the key against withdrawal until the lid or cover is closed, substantially as and for the purposes hereinafter fully described and claimed.

The invention consists, lastly, in certain details of construction and combinations of parts, substantially as hereinafter fully described, and set forth in the claims.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, 1 will describe the same in detail, referring to the accompanying drawings.

A indicates the mail pouch or bag, the mouth or open end of which is secured to a rectangular metallic frame, A, in whose opposite end strips, a are formed guide-grooves a and to which end strips are secured han- 9o dles a and the inwardly and rearwardly projecting pins or lugs, to, which latter are secured near the outer end of said strips (L as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The rear end strip,

u, is made of angle metal. and provided in the horizontal flange or portion thereof with a plurality of holes, (1 Figs. 3 and (i.

The lid or cover A 01? the bag consists of two metal plates, a and a whose outer ends are bent at right angles in the same direction to form the downwardly-projecting flange (1, on said plate a and leave a space between the two plates, and to the upper end of plate a near its inner edge, is secured a handle, a. The lowerplate, a, has secured thereto a se ries of plate spring-arms, a each carrying at its free end a pin, (0, extending through perforations in said lower plate and engaging the holes a in the rear side strips, (0, of the frame of the pouch when the cover is closed. The two plates a and (1* are so shaped and connected together as to form the lateral tongues a, that fit and slide in the guide-grooves (L21 of the pouch-frame A. The lower plate, a, has slots (1 formed along its rear edge, the number and location of which correspond with the number and location of the spring-arms of. 'When the cover A of the pouch is shoved in to close the mouth of said pouch, the pins a will project into the holes a, thus locking the cover.

In Fig. 5 I have shown the key to unlock the pouch, said key, K, having edge flanges, 7n, and lugs 7;, the number and arrangement of which lugs correspond with the number and z'n-rangtmient of the slots (1, and springarms (1 of the cover A In order to unlock the mail-pouch it is necessary to introduce the lugs ll: of key K into the slots and simultaneously therewith the edge flanges or projections It" into the grooves a of the pouch-frame. As the free end of the spring-arms o projects over said slot the introduction of the lugs 7: of key K lilts said arms and releases the pins (1 from the holes (1. This can, however, not be done without at the same time introducing the flanges I." of key K into the grooves (1 of the pouch-frame, so that the key is locked to the cover A, and remains so locked thereto, as shown in l -ig. 33, until said eoveris fully slid back to bri ng the pin s a" in a plane corresponding to that ol' the holes a, so that on the removal of the keyK the said pins will at once lock the cover to the pouch.

It is obvious that a mail carrier or collector cannot open the pouch without leaving the key in it, and this key is intended to be in the possession of the receiving-clerk at the post-oiiice, to whom all. the collection-pouches are delivered, special means being provided at each streetbox for automatically opening the pouch when applied to the box for the reception of the mail contained in the latter, as will hereinafter appear. It is also obvious that by varying the number and relative p0- sition of the spring-arms a and the locking holes a of the pouch and correspondingly varying the lugs Is on the key K and the special devices on the letter-box, a collector or carrier of one district could not collect the mail from the boxes of another district.

1 indicates the mail-box, U the hinged bottom, and Z) the hinged top or cover thereof, and I) are lateral tongues that fit into the guide-grooves c of the pouch-frame .A. At the lower front edge of the box I is secured a key similar to that shown in Fi 5, said key having an overhanging ledge, Zr, and lugs 1) below the same, there being sufficient space between the upper edge of the lugs 11 and the under face of the ledge to admit of inserting the rear edge of the eoverA and hooking the same onto the lugs l) to lift the springarms (t and disengage the pins o from the holes a to unlock the pouch-cover, the ledge b forming an abutment tor the handle a on said cover, when the pouch may he slid back under the mail-box, leaving the cover A [no jecting in front thereof, as shown in Fig. 2. The size of the pouch-frame corres 'ioin'ls exactly with that of the mail-box, so that the under side thereof is completely covered by the mouth of the pouch A, the bottom of the mail-box beinghinged to the back wall thereof, as more plainly shown in Figs. 7 and El.

The mail-box B has an interior chamber, 11, that is open at bottom only, said opening being normally closed by the bottom 11 of the mail-box. This chamber 1! constitutes the mail-receptacle proper, and access cannot be had thereto except through the bottom opening, and the upper or top wall of said cham ber may be provided with perforations for the circulation of air, as shown. The chamber F is of lessheight,width, and length than the mail-box. In the spaces thus provided between the top, the end, and the front walls of the chamber and the mail-box is arranged the operating mechanism.

Iwill now describe the locking mechanisms for the box lid and bottom and for the collection -indicator, that which serves to lock the bottom being arranged in the spaces between the end walls of the mailreceptacle and the like walls of the mail-box, the mechanism at one end being a duplicate of that at the other end, said mechanisms being connected by a crank-shaft extending lengthwise across the mail-box between its lid and the upper wall. of the 1nail-receptacle. It will therefore be sufficient to describe the mechanism at one end of the mail-box and its connection with the crank-shaft in order that the entire locking mechanism for the bottom of the mail-box may be understood.

Near the end of the hinged bottom 0 of the mailbox is secured a lug, to which is pi voted one end of a link, e-, whose other end is pivoted to a cam, disk, or eccentric, e, that is rigidly secured to a crank-shaft, c", mounted in bearin formed in the end walls of the mail-box, said crankshaft extending through the space between the chamber F and lid 1/. The cam, disk, or eccentric c has a periphmal notch, a, with which engages a hook, (1, se-

cured to or formed on the upper end of a spring-actuated lever, D, pivoted at (V, Figs. 7 and 9, to the end wall of the mail-box, the lower lever-arm terminating in a foot, (I. To the end wall of the mail-box is also pivoted a locking-lever, F, whose outer hooked end, f projects beyond the front of the mail-box and engages the time-plate f, as shown in Fig. 7, while its rear-hooked end, f lies in the path of the projecting-pin e on cam e, to which the upper end of the link 6 is pivoted.

Near the lower edge of the end wall of the mail-box is pivoted a lever, 0, whose outer end projects under the foot (Z of the lever D, while the opposite end of said lever is so shaped as to form lugs c, that will project through slots formed in the hinged bottom 11 of the mail-box, as shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 9.

In suitable bearings on the rear corner of the mailbox is fitted a vertical locking bar or rod, 1', the foot 1 of which lies on the rear end of the lever O to lock it against motion. On the rod is mounted a coiled spring, i Fig. 0, the tendency of which is to lift the rod off the lever end. The upper end of the rod 2', when lifted by the spring projects above the upper edge of the letter-box, so that when the lid thereof is closed the rod i will be forced down against the stress of its spring and lock the lever C against motion.

In the chamber formed between the front wall of the letter-box l3 and receptacle F is arranged the lock that locks the lid to the box, g being the key, and g, Fig. 10, the bolt that engages lugs 9 secured to the under side of the lid 71 said lugs extending through slots g in the inner wall of the bolt-chamber g \Vhen the key is introduced and the lid unlocked, a vertical rod, b pivoted to the outer end of a spring-arm, b, rises and lifts the lid U, the arm Z) passing behind the bit of the key g, thus preventing its removal until the lid Z) is again closed to move the rod in its normal position.

The mailbox is provided with one or more openings, 7L, for the introduction of the mail.

The operation of the described mechanism is as follows: It has been stated and fully described above how the application of the pouch A to the mail-box automatically unlocks said pouch and places it in a position to receive the mail matter. The application of the pouch also releases the locking mechanism, so that it will operate as soon as the lid Z) is opened, and to this end there are two lugs or pins, a", secured to the pouch A, as described, which, as the pouch is reaching the limit of its motion under the mail-box, enter holes I), Fig. 7, formed on opposite ends in the front wall of the mail-box. The lugs a" impinge 'upon the foot (1 of the levers D and push the lever-arms inwardly on the levers O, the upper hooked ends, d, moving outwardly against the stress of the springs (l Figs. 7 and 9, thereby releasing the eccentric 6'. So long as the lid 13 of the mail-box remains closed, the locking mechanism cannot be released by the pins a" on the mailpouch frame, for the reason that the rods 1' hold down the rear ends of the levers C, so that their front ends will lie in front of the holes 6", thereby preventing the pins a from entering said holes. It is therefore absolutely necessary that the lid b be first unlocked to allow the springs 1' to move the rods 2' upward and release the levers O to permit the pins a to enter the holes and act upon the levers D, so that said levers may be simultaneously tilted when the pouch-frame is fully pushed under the mail-box by the contact of the rear portion, a, of the pouchframe coming in contact with the arm of levers O, that project through slots in the hinged bottom of the mail-box, thus permitting the pins to to move the levers D, as described. As soon as the levers D are disengaged from the notches of the cams or disks 6, the hinged bottom 1) falls by gravity, the mail in receptacle F being discharged into the pouch A. As the disk 6 revolves, the projecting pivot-pin e of one of the links 6 engages the hook of lever F and tilts said lever into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 9, thereby releasing the time-plate f theretofore locked to the front wall of the mail-box by the hooked end f of the lever F, permitting its removal and replacing by another one indicating when the next collection will take place.

From what has been said above it will be readily understood that the lid of the letterboX controls the entire locking mechanism, and mu st first be opened in order to permit the release of the levers Dby the operation of the mail-pouch.

To return the parts into their normal positions, the following operations are necessary: The pouch must first be pulled from under the mail-box sufficiently to withdraw the lugs or pins a from the holes 19 or out of contact with the foot of the levers D, which, under the stress of their springs (1 will return into their normal position. The crank-shaft e, which also serves as a handle, is now turned toward the front of the letter-box, thereby rotating the eccentrics e correspondingly to close the bottom of the letter-box, the hooks cl on the upper end of levers D engaging the notches in said eccentrics and locking the bottom of the letter-box. It may happen that in a hurry a carrier may forget to lock the lid b of the letter-box; but, as stated above, he cannot withdraw the key g, which is locked by the bar I), so that he must first close the said lid 1). By the closure of the said lid the rods 't' are forced down against the stress of their springs 1' to lock the levers O and through them the levers D, the hook-lever F is returned into its normal position, Fig. 7, its hooked end f engaging the collection timetable f, and, finally, the bar b is forced down against the stress of its spring-arm I) out of the way of the bit of the key g, which may now be removed after looking the lid L The pouch may now be fully withdrawn from under the box, but cannot be removed therefrom except by unhooking the same from the lugs Z1, that constitute the bit of the key for the pouch A, and when said pouch has been moved out sufiiciently to permit of its being unhooked the pins (0' on the spring-arn'is a will at once lock the pouch and prevent its being opened, except by a key, the bit of which corresponds with that on the mail-box and which is in the possession of the receivingclerk at the ollice.

The removal of the mail matter and the relockin g of the mail-box require, therefore, the following operations: First, hooking the 1nailpouch cover to the lugs 11, that constitute the bit of the key attached to the mailbox; sec ond, unlocking the lid of the mailbox; third, pushing the mailpoucl1 under the box; fourth, changi n the collection time'plate, where such is used, for each collection; fifth, partly withdrawing the pouch and manipulating the crank-shaft c and then moving the pouch fully out; sixth, closing and locking the lid of the mail-box, and, finally, unhooking the pouch from the lugs Z) of the key on the mail-box.

It will be seen that the mail carrier or colleetor has at no time access to the contents of the mail within its receptacle or when transferred to the pouch, since the mail matter is contained in a receptacle that is closed on all sides by rigid walls, except at the bottom, and that in order to unlock the bottom he is compelled to push the mail-pouch completely under the nHLll-DOX and as he withdraws it the pouch is closed and tinally locked before he can remove it entirely from its attachments to the mail-box. Nor can he open the mailpouch by hooking it onto the lugs hand then gain access to the contents of said pouch, for the reason that he cannot connect the slotted flange of the pouch-cover with the lugs (Z without at the same time causing the tongues 71 on the mail-box to enter the grooves (L21 in the inail- 'much frame; Nor can he tilt the cover after it is hooked on the lugs Z) by reason of said tongues and by the reason of the ledge b projecting over the rear edge of the pouchcover.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. A mailbox comprising an outer case, a hinged lid, and hinged bottom therefor and having a slot, 71 in its front wall, a chamber formed in and ctmnnunicating with the sloth of said case, said chamber being open at bottom only, locking devices for locking the hinged bottom to the case, and intermediate mechanism controlled by said lid operating to lock said locking devices against operation, as and for the purposes specified.

2. A mail-box comprising an outer case, a hinged lid, and hinged bottom therefor and having a slot, 71, in its front wall, a chamber formed in said outer case, open at bottom only and communicating with slot 72 independent locking devices fol-locking the lid and bottom to the case,intermediate mechanism operating to lock said locking devices out of operation, and a locking-bar operating to lock the key for the locking devices of the lid against withdrawal, said intern'iediate mechanism and locking-bar being controlled by the lid, for the purposes specified.

3. A mail-box provided with a hinged lid and bottom and having on its front wall a support for a time-plate, f, in combination with locking mechanism for locking the bottom to the box, and a locking-lever controlled by said locking devices and by the hinged lid, respectively, to unlock said time-plate from or lock it to its support, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4-. A mail-box. comprising an outer case, a hinged lid, and hinged bottom therefor and having a slot, 71 and a holder fora time-plate,

f, in and on its front wall, respectively, a

chamber formed in said outer case open at: bottom only and comimmicating with slot 7:, locking devices for locking the hinged bot tom to the case, a locking-lever operating to lock the time-plate to its holder, the move ment of said lever in one direction being controlled by the locking devices and in the reverse direction by the hinged lid, and intermediate mechanism controlled by said lid and operating to lock the locking devices against operation, as and for the purposes specified.

5. The combination, with a mail-pouchprovided with a rectangular frame at its mouth, a cover arranged to slide in grooves in said. frame, and a lock for locking said cover to the frame, of a mail-box having a hinged bottom and provided with a support for the mail.- pouch below such bottom, and a key permanently secured to the box and operatil'lg to unlock the cover of said pouch when applied to the support therefor, substantially as dc scribed.

U. The combination, with a mail-pouch provided with a groove on opposite sides of the open end thereof, a sliding cover to close said open end, and a lock cmisistingot' a plurality of elastic arms, each carrying a locking-pin adapted to engage holes in a transverse bar at the rear of said open end of the pouch, said cover being provided with slots along its rear edge registering with the free end of the elastic arms, of a mail-boxv provided with a hinged bottom, guide-tongues on opposite sides of said bottom adapted to [it into the grooves in the mail-pouch frame, and a key permanently secured to the front edge of the box, the bit of said key consistiiiig ot vertical lugs adapted to engage the slots under the elastic arms of the pouch-cover, whereby when said mailpoueh cover is hooked onto the lugs said cover will be automaticallyunlocked and prevented from sliding under the box with the pouch, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with a mail-box provi (led with an. aperture in its front wall and with outwardly-proj ecting tongues or flanges at its lower opposite edges, a hinged bottom for said box, and a locking. mechanism for locking the bottom to the box, of a mail-pouch provided with guide-grooves for the reception of said tongues on the mailbox, and a lug or pin adapted to enter the aperturein the front wall of said box, said lug or pin operating upon the locking mechanism to unlock the bottom when said pouch is slid under the box, as described.

8. A mail-pouch having its open end connected to a rectangular rigid frame whose rear transverse bar is providedvwith holes a and whose lateral bars have interior longitudinal guide-grooves, a cover for said pouch adapted to slide in said grooves and composed of two plates connected to form an intermediatespace,andarearwardly-extending flange, said flange being provided with a plurality of slots and with a perforation in front of each slot, springarms arranged between the two plates, the free ends of which arms project over the slots in the flange, and apin depending from each spring-arm and projecting through the perforations, said pins fitting into the holes in the rear transverse box of the pouchframe when the cover is pushed in to lock the latter to said frame, in combination with a mail-box provided with a hinged bottom and with tongues adapted to fit the grooves in the pouch-frame, and means for unlocking the pouch-cover arranged at the lower front edge of the box, consisting of vertical lugs equal in number to that of the spring arms of the pouch-cover, said lugs fitting into the slots of said cover, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

9. A mail-box comprising an outer case provided with a hinged lid and bottom, an inner chamber of less dimension, open atbottom only, an d ind epcndent locking mechanisms for the lid and bottom arranged in the spaces formed, between the chamber and outer case, substantially as described, for the purposes specified.

10. A mail-box comprising an outer case provided with a hinged lid and bottom, an inner chamber of less dimension, open at bottom only, independent locking devices for said lid and bottom, and intermediate mechanism controlled by the lid to lock the locking devices for the hinged bottom against operation, said locking devices and intermediate mechanism being arranged in the spaces formed between the inner chamber and outer case, substantially as described, for the purposes specified.

11. The combination, with the hinged bottom of the mail-box, of locking devices comprising an eccentric provided with a peripheral notch, a link connected to the eccentric and bottom, and a locking-lever operating to engage the notch of the eccentric when the hinged bottom is closed, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

12. A mail-box provided with a perforation in and near the lower edge of its front wall and a hinged bottom for said box, in combination with looking devices comprising an eccentric, a link connected to said eccentric and bottom, and a locking-lever one end of which is adapted to engage a peripheral notch in the eccentric when the bottom of the boX is closed, the other end of said lever projecting over the perforation in the front wall of the box, whereby said lever may be tripped by the insertion of a pin into said perforation and the bottom of the box unlocked, substantially as described.

13. A mail-box provided on its front wall with a holder for a timeplate, f, and with a hinged bottom, in combination with looking mechanisms for saidplate and bottom, comprising an eccentric, a link connected thereto and to the hinged bottom, a locking-lever operating to engage a peripheral notch in said eccentric when the bottom of the box is closed, and a locking-lever having hooked ends, one of said ends projecting over the time-plate when in its holder and the other lyingin the path of a pin projecting from the eccentric, whereby when the eccentric is released by its locking-lever and caused to rotate under the weight of the hinged bottom the projecting pin will engage one of the hooked ends of the time-plate-locking lever and tilt the same to unlock said plate, substantially as described.

14. The combination, with a mail-box provided with a hinged lid and bottom, locking devices comprising an eccentric, a link connected thereto and to the hinged bottom, and a spring-actuated lever adapted to engage a peripheral notch in said eccentric when the bottom of the box is closed, of a locking-lever one end of which is arranged to engage the spring-actuated lever and a spring-actuated locking-rod adapted to engage the said locking-lever, the movement of said rod in one direction being controlledby the hinged lid of the box, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

15. The combination, with a mail-box provided with a hinged lid and bottom and with a holder for a timeplate, of locking mechanisms for said hinged bottom and time-plate, consisting of an eccentric connected with the hinged bottom, a spring actuated lever adapted to engage a peripheral notch in the eccentric when the bottom is closed, and the lever F, having hooked ends f 2 f, said hooked end f lying in the path of a pin projecting from the eccentric, and the hook f projecting over the holder for-the time-plate, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

16. The combination, with a mail-box provided with a hinged lid and bottom, a lock for said lid and locking devices for the bottom comprising an eccentric connected with the bottom, and a locking-lever adapted to engage a peripheral notch in the eccentric when the bottom is closed, of the rod Z) and the sprin g-actuated lockin g-bar I), connected with said rod, whereby when the lid is unlocked said rod and bar will move upward to lift the lid and lock the key against withdrawal from ITO the lid-lock, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

l7. The combination, with a mail-box provided with apertures if in its front wall and with a hinged lid and bottom, and an interior chamber open at bottom only, said chmnber being of smaller dimension than the mailbox, to leave space between its front, top, and end walls and the corresponding walls of said box, of locking devices comprising a crankshaft arranged between the box-lid and top wall of the interior chamber, an eccentric at each end of said shaft, links comieeting the eceentries with the bottom, spring-actuated levers adapted to engage a peripheral notch in the eccentric when the bottom of the box is closed, the lever (f, provided with the arms or lugs c, projecting through slots at the rear edge of the hinged bottom, and the springactuated rod 1', substantially as and for the purposes specified.

lb. The combination, with the mail-box having a perforation, if, in its front wall, a hinged lid, a hinged bottom, and tongues 71 at opposite ends, the eccentric e, connected with said bottom, the locking-l ever l adapted to engage a peripheral notch in said eccentric when the hinged bottom is closed, the foot of said lever projecting in front of the perforation in the front wall of the box, the lever (J, provided with an extension, 0, projeeting through slots at the rear edge of the hinged bottom, and the rod 1 in combination with a mail-pouch having its open end connected to a rigid frame, said frame havin guide-grooves in its lateral bars, and pins or lugs a proj cctin therefrom, substantially as and for the mrposes specified.

'10. The combination, with a mail-box having a hinged lid and a holder for atime-plate,

f, on its front wall, of an eccentric provided with a projecting pin, and a lockii'ig-lever, F, having hooked ends f' f pivoted near the lid, said parts being arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposes specilied.

In testimony whereof I al'tix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\VENZL \VLLEK. -Witnesses:

O'rTo SCHLFFEi-i, CARL SCHMIDT. 

